Cigarette lighter and holder



July 12, 1938. H, E 2,123,779

CIGARETTE LIGHTER AND HOLDER Original Filed March 16, 1936 i amid E1552? WITNESS ATTORNEY Patented July 12, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application March 16, 1936, Serial No. 69,231 Renewed November 30, 1937 2 Claims.

This invention relates to combined cigarette containers and lighters, and has for the primary object the provision of a simple and practical portable device to be used on a table, stand or desk and which will accommodate a supply of cigarettes and may be easily actuated to partially eject a cigarette therefrom so that it may be re ceived by the lips of a smoker and simultaneously ignite the cigarette thereby eliminating the use of matches or a separate lighter from a cigarette container.

With these and other objects in view, this invention consists in certain novel features of coilstruction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating a combined cigarette container and lighter constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional View illustrating the same.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a combined ejector and igniter.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral l indicates a base having secured thereto a vertically arranged hollow support or post 2 to which is secured a container 3 adapted to receive a number of cigarettes in superimposed relation. The upper end of the container is closed by a hinged cover 4. One of the vertical walls of the container, adjacent the bottom wall, is provided with an opening 5 through which the lowermost cigarette in the container may be ejected. The container extends part-way down the post 2 with its bottom wall spaced a desired distance from the base I so that a person's hand may readily grasp the lower portion of the post permitting the device to be readily lifted from one place to another or to be lifted off of a desk or like support 45 and position the opening 5 opposite the mouth of a person.

The container 3 has an opening 6 opposite the opening 5 and places the container in communication with the interior of the post so that a 50 combined ejecting and igniting means I may engage with the lowermost cigarette for partially ejecting the cigarette from the container by Way of the opening 5, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 2.

The means 1 consists of a hollow mounting 8 of insulating material suitably mounted in the post and in alignment with the opening 6 and has slidably mounted therein a plunger 9 also constructed of insulating material to which is detachably secured a finger piece It) extending exteriorly of the 'post. Clamped between the plunger 9 and the finger piece It] is a spring seat II to be engaged by one end of a coil spring l2, the other end of the spring seats against a shoulder 13 formed in the mounting. The end of the plunger 9 carries an electric filament Hi, the terminals of which are indicated by the character IS. The terminals project into grooves l6 formed in the mounting 8. Contacts l! are secured to the mounting 8 and project into the grooves l6 and have connected thereto electrical feed conductors l8. The conductors l8 extend downwardly in the post and through a passage formed in the base and may be plugged into an electrical output of a conventional character. The spring l2 normally positions the plunger 9 so that the terminals 15 are spaced from the contacts l1, breaking the electric circuit and also arranging the plunger entirely within the mounting.

The diameter of the plunger 9 is approximately the diameter of a cigarette and the heating coil or electric filament M in circumference is slightly smaller than the diameter of the plunger.

In operation, a person grasps the post, as shown in Figure 1, and applies pressure on the finger piece I 0 with the index finger causing a sliding movement of the plunger 9 which will partially eject the lowermost cigarette from the container by way of the opening 5. As the plunger ejects the cigarette the terminals l5 engage the contacts completing the electric circuit so that the filament 14 will become hot and being in contact with the partially ejected cigarette, the latter may be readily lighted by the person drawing on the exposed end of the cigarette. After the lighting of the cigarette the latter may be easily withdrawn entirely from the container and smoked as usual.

Having described the invention, I claim:

1. A combined portable cigarette lighter and container comprising a base, a hollow post carried by said base, a container mounted on said post and having an opening communicating with the interior of the post and provided with a dis charge opening opposite the first opening, a mounting located in the post and having a chamber aligning with the first opening, a springpressed plunger operating in said chamber, a finger piece secured to the plunger for moving the latter through the first opening to eject a Cigarette partially from the container by way of the discharge opening, and electrical means for igniting the cigarette during its ejection.

2. A combined portable cigarette lighter and. container comprising a base, a hollow post carried by said base, a container mounted on said post and having an opening communicating with the interior of the post and provided with a discharge opening opposite the first opening, a mounting located in the post and having a chamber aligning with the first opening, a spring pressed plunger operating in said chamber, a finger piece secured to the plunger for moving the latter through the first opening to eject a cigarette partially'from the container by way of the discharge opening, an electric filament carried by the plunger to engage the cigarette during the ejection thereof, terminals for said filament, electric contacts carried by the mounting to be engaged by the terminals on the plunger moving into full ejecting position, and means 10 connecting the contacts to an electric output.

HAROLD H. HITE. 

